Will Clemson Tigers, Chad Morris Go After Transfer Quarterback?

Changes are coming to the Clemson Tigers, but one of them might not be at a position that many are thinking about.

With the departure of Cade Klubnik to the NFL Draft and being out of eligibility, head coach Dabo Swinney and new offensive coordinator Chad Morris have a decision to make: quarterback. However, despite talks of potential transfer quarterbacks being taken, it seems to look like Clemson is going to stay the same at quarterback.

Morris looks like he will begin the season with three-year backup Christopher Vizzina, who has waited until his time behind Klubnik to get his moment with two years of eligibility remaining. Behind him is Chris Denson, a true freshman who recorded two touchdowns on two drives he played this season.

Behind him are entering freshmen, Tait Reynolds and Brock Bradley. From there, Swinney thinks that he has the people needed to succeed at the position.

“We just assigned two to come compete,” he said at the beginning of December, “and we got Denson here to compete, and, you know, we got CV, who’s really only played one true game, you know, from a start standpoint, who’s here to compete.”

The Clemson head coach said that “now’s his time” regarding Vizzina, who has nobody else in front of him on the depth chart but himself. This is seen before with previous quarterbacks of the program, and thrown in the transfer portal, it could get difficult to get Swinney to move on from Vizzina, who’s started once.

In his only start, Vizzina finished with a standout 317 yards and three touchdowns, not turning the ball over with any interceptions, against SMU. It was considered an audition for next year's spot, and he did all he could, despite the loss.

“Now, he’s got to win the job,” Swinney said, “He’s kind of where you start, but you got to win it. Same thing with Denson. I mean, Denson didn’t come here to just stand on the sideline, he came here to compete, so, let’s compete.”

Reports of a transfer quarterback were talked about briefly when the portal first opened up, with Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles being talked about being targeted by Clemson at the beginning of the window opening. A lot was believed to be examined under the new offensive coordinator, Morris, meaning nothing would have happened without the approval of the new playcaller.

After Morris was officially signed, the dominoes began to fall. T.J. Moore was the first player to announce his return from the receiving corps, being a massive keep for the group. Bryant Wesco Jr. and Tyler Brown haven’t locked in an official return yet, but according to On3’s Larry Williams, things might be trending in the right direction.

No report of a quarterback on these visits has been revealed either, as of Tuesday night. It could mean that Vizzina will be the leader going into spring camp, who also showed his excitement on social media about Morris’s hiring.

Clemson QB Christopher Vizzina reacts to the Chad Morris hire:

“Let’s work.” pic.twitter.com/kjoQPhlmsz
— Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) January 5, 2026

So, as of this time, it is not expected that a quarterback will be hunted by Clemson through the portal, though things can always change in the fast-paced college football world. Expect Vizzina and Denson to contend for the starting spot, while Reynolds and Bradley are reserved for the time being.

As for the other skill positions that haven’t been announced their returns yet, only time will tell if it’s positive or negative news.